Also included in the plan are increases in so-called sin taxes for tobacco products and alcohol. The OHA Medicaid Task Force last Friday voted to make a motion to the OHA Board of Trustees to support the tobacco and alcohol tax increases, but has not taken a position on the other taxes. OHA will continue to analyze the tax package to identify any impact on providers. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

Thursday, February 6, 2003
Budget Correction Bill on the Move
Legislation to correct the estimated $720 million state budget hole this fiscal year was introduced yesterday by Rep. Charles Calvert (R-Medina). Office of Budget and Management Director Tom Johnson highlighted the bill’s provisions during hearings in the House Finance and Appropriations Committee. The bill would increase the tax on cigarettes by $.45 per pack, bringing the Ohio tax on cigarettes to $1 per pack. The increase would bring in $159 million for the state assuming a March 1 effective date. HB 40 would also double alcohol taxes to bring in a total of $18.7 million. The bill is scheduled to be voted out of committee Tuesday. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org)

Working Wonders
OHA would like to highlight the exceptional collaborations and successes of Ohio’s hospitals as they continue efforts to attract and retain talented and dedicated employees.

EMH Regional Healthcare System, Lake Hospital System, Euclid Hospital with the Cleveland Clinic Health System and Parma Community General Hospital were all named in the 99 Best Places to Work in Northeast Ohio by the Employers Resource Council. Those honored as the NorthCoast 99 excel in compensation, benefits, training and education, diversity, community service, work/life, recruitment and retention and employee communication. Parma Community and EMH Regional are celebrating their second year on the list.

Associations, hospital systems, nursing education providers, and the Greater Columbus Chamber, of Commerce have joined forces to create the Columbus Healthcare Workforce Center (CHWC). This collaboration began with a supply and demand analysis of the local labor market in health care. After defining the current and projected health care workforce needs, CHWC generated community solutions to recruit, retain, and develop talented health care professionals in the Columbus area. Columbus hospitals Children’s Hospital, Mount Carmel, OhioHealth, and OSU Medical Center are among the participants in this effort.

For more information on these and other hospitals’ best practices, visit OHA’s Workforce Forum at www.ohanet.org/workforce/. Send your hospital’s best practices to Jean Scholz at jeans@ohanet.org or 614.221.7614.

Double-Check Hospital Billing Seminar Dates
If you are planning to attend OHA’s Annual Seminar on the Management of Medicaid Accounts Receivables, make sure you have the correct dates. The dates for the joint OHA, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) program have been updated since they were initially posted on the ODJFS Web site. ODJFS is in the process of correcting and reissuing the notice. The correct dates are: March 11, Blue Ash; March 14, Columbus; March 17, Perrysburg; and March 24, Strongsville. More information is available from the OHA Center for Education online at www.ohanet.org/education/education_programs.asp.

Friday, February 7, 2003
Medicaid Takes Hit in Proposed State Budget
The state budget released by Gov. Bob Taft this week proposes reductions in Medicaid eligibility, covered services and reimbursement. In an effort to contain Medicaid growth, the proposed budget will reduce the eligibility of parents from 100 percent of poverty to 70-90 percent based on family size and dental, vision, podiatric, chiropractic and psychological services for adults will be eliminated. Additionally, reimbursement rates paid to providers including hospitals and nursing homes will be frozen for a period of 24 months. Under these provisions, approximately 30,000 parents will completely lose Medicaid coverage and 800,000 will lose access to some services. Medicaid spending in Ohio will still increase by half a billion dollars in the next two years despite these reductions because of rising caseloads and increasing pharmaceutical costs - not because of increased hospital payments.

Freezes in reimbursement rates present a difficult situation for hospitals that rely on increases to cover a growing uninsured population and other increasing health care costs such as pharmaceuticals and malpractice insurance. For information on how to reach your elected representatives about the proposed freezes in reimbursement, please contact Bridget Gargan at bridgetg@ohanet.org.

Smallpox Vaccination of Military Underway
Military personnel in Ohio and across the country this week began receiving vaccinations for smallpox as part of President George W. Bush’s national smallpox vaccination plan. Under the plan, certain military personnel who are or may be deployed in high threat areas are being vaccinated.

Health care providers should be aware that some military personnel, specifically reservists, will return to their communities after being vaccinated. Providers should be prepared to question individuals about smallpox vaccine or smallpox vaccine in a family member when evaluating a rash or illness with characteristics similar to smallpox.

The Department of Defense reports that three percent of vaccinated people nationwide have taken sick leave for an average leave of five days. Only two cases have been reported as noteworthy. Both of those individuals are in good condition at this time, according to the department.

Vaccinations for public health officials and hospital personnel are expected to begin later this month in Ohio. The Ohio Department of Health has ordered 4,000 doses of the vaccine for 60 hospitals across the state. (Carol Jacobson, carolj@ohanet.org)